Located on the border of Kenya and Somaliland, Lamu greets visitors with a half tarred road and a few potholes for an airstrip. However, you’re not allowed to complain coz “This is Africa” (common saying when thing’s go wrong). And, given that the bus is regularly hijacked by Somali land pirates, the flight’s definitely a safer option.
Lamu is one of the earliest Swahili settlements and served as an important trading port in an erstwhile era. Influences of Indian and Arab cultures are evident even today from Indian songs playing in the streets to Arab dhows (sailboats) dotting the coast. Set foot in Lamu and it’s quite apparent why this is a town that time forgot about. Houses are ancient and built within a few feet from each other to save people from the wrath of the scorching sun. Add to that the fact that the only means of land transport on the island is a fleet of shiny new donkeys. After all according to an ancient Swahili proverb ‘A man without a donkey, is a donkey’.
Apart from the great seafood, exotic fruit juices, tiny roads and hoardes of donkeys, Lamu has a lot more to offer and you’ll find that 3 days in Lamu is far from sufficient..
Lamu Fort
Although the fort itself is nothing to write home about, the view from the ramparts ensures that the fort is well worth a visit. Since it stands right next to the town centre, it offers a great unobtrusive view of the happenings at the the town centre. Great way to pass the time on a lazy sunny afternoon.
Lamu Museum & Swahili House
Both of these buildings house well-preserved Swahili artifacts that give you a peek into the past offering you a clear picture of what life was like in the good old days.
Sunset Dhow Trip
It would be a crime to visit Lamu and skip a dhow trip. The boat sets off from Lamu at around 4pm and you get to view the sun set over the Indian Ocean with dhows scattered all across the orange water. The boat then drops you at a deserted beach where the boatmen build a bonfire. Definitely a unique experience that will not be easily forgotten.
Manda Island
Manda Island is Lamu’s sister island. Although the island was inhabited a few hundred years ago, the lack of drinking water on this island forced people to move to confine themselves to Lamu. An additional risk of setting up shop on Manda is the elephants that are known to incredulously swim across from the Kenyan mainland to feed at Manda Island. Ruins of a mosque at Manda have been preserved until today. If the local fishermen are to be believed, Manda beach provides a good vantage point to view Somali pirates making their way in their tiny dinghies to the office.
Shela Beach
Sun, white sand, blue water. That’s exactly what Shela beach is all about. If you’ve had enough of the tiny streets of Lamu, Shela beach is a short 15 mins walk away. If walking isn’t your cup of tea, most of the boats will be more than happy to ferry you along the coast. This is probably one of the few beaches in the World with camel rides on offer. Imagine an ant walking around on a ping-pong table and that’s exactly how you would feel in comparison to the vastness of Shela beach.
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.
It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.
Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up.
It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.
When the sun comes up, you’d better be running!”
1. Masai Mara
The crème de la crème of safaris, the Masai Mara offers what is commonly (and incorrectly) know as the annual wildebeest migration. This migration is far from an annual occurrence and is in fact the continuous movement of thousands of wildebeest back and forth across the Kenyan and Tanzanian plains in search of the proverbial greener pasture. Around August the wildebeest get to the Masai Mara River and if you’re lucky, you witness a blood fest. Hungry starving crocodiles lie in wait and the lions not to be outdone silently stalk the herds of wildebeest, preying on its weakest members. Most safaris pale in comparison to this mega event.
2. Amboseli National Park
This is the only safari that comes even close to competing with the Masai Mara for postcard space. With Kilimanjaro in the background and tons of elephants, giraffes and lions in the park, pictures don’t get more iconic than this. Standing at almost 6000m above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain in the World and the tallest mountain in Africa. As can be expected, tall mountains don’t like to be spotted unless the weather Gods say so. Patience (something I lack) is the key to this Kodak moment.
3. Hells Gate
The only bicycle safari in East Africa. There’s no feeling as liberating as hopping on your bicycle and riding out on a safari. Despite the morbid name, Hells gate is (relatively) safe with no predatory animals around. Warthogs, zebra, giraffe and the odd wildebeest are scattered around the park. A gorge at the center offers a scenic trek through volcanic springs. Steam coming out of the geysers contributed to this park’s unconventional name.
4. Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Crater was formed when a giant volcano, about the size of Kilimanjaro, erupted and collapsed on itself. With plenty of water and vegetation, the crater is a feeding paradise for grazing animals. And where there are grazing animals, there are predators. Hippos, zebra, lions, hyenas – this crater has it all. The only animal missing out on the feeding extravaganza is the giraffe. Bony long rickety legs might be ideal for reaching the high hanging fruit, but not so much with steep slopes. This whole mini-ecosystem hangs in perfect balance and you can’t help but marvel at the circle of life.
5. Lake Nakuru
As Kenya’s premium national park, entrance is priced at a hefty 50$ for non-residents. The park is well maintained and quite small in comparison to the other parks. This means that animals can no longer remain hidden for too long. So this is where you get to spot rhino – definitely the hardest of the big 5 (rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard) to find. If you’re lucky you’ll see both white and black rhino. While white rhino are relatively unperturbed with human company, black rhino are very aggressive and would topple a vehicle without batting an eye. Fortunately, they prefer to shy away from the spotlight and usually avoid noisy annoying tourists.
6. Aberdare National Park
If you’re looking for a novelty safari, this is the place to be. The Ark is a hotel located in the middle of Aberdare National Park. Shaped as a boat and named after Noah’s legendary exploits, this hotel is located right next to a salt field and watering hole. Animals drop by at various times to drink water or lick salt off the ground. Floodlights and glass walled galleries offer a close up view of exotic animals that drop by for a salt fix. Buzzers in the rooms wake you up in the middle of the night when the more elusive animals (leopard, rhino, etc) show up.
7. Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is home to the famous tree-climbing lions. The southern Serengeti in Tanzania is the only place in the world where lions climb into the trees. While no one knows for sure why the lions climb into the trees, one theory has it that the lions started climbing into the trees to get away from the nasty tse-tse flies.
8. Lake Bogoria
One of the lakes along the Great Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria is home to one of the World’s largest populations of lesser flamingos. The birds feed on a certain algae that grow in only highly alkaline water. The volcanic Lake Bogoria offers perfect conditions. This National Park also boasts of the highest concentration of geysers in Africa.
9. Tarangire National Park
Huge baobab trees are scattered throughout the park. Rumored to be oldest tree on Earth, this is hard to prove since the tree doesn’t produce rings that allow us to verify its age. The oldest baobab is estimated to be 6000 years old. With the land drying out during the summer months, the Tarangire River is a lifesaver for all the animals. Elephants have colonized huge stretches. A few birds prefer to take a dip and then bask in the sun.
10. Nairobi National Park
Anyone familiar with East Africa would wonder why this was included in my list. Other than lion, giraffe, water buffalo and other regulars, the Nairobi National Park doesn’t match up to the likes of the Masai Mara. However, how many cities have it’s own National Park and safari? None I’m guessing. For a city of 3 million, a National Park in your backyard is a huge achievement. The co-existence of man and animals is a reality here. Other attractions include giraffe feeding, the elephant orphanage and a zoo.
Do you think any other safari should be included in this list? Let me know..